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Donald Trump’s new plan for ACA replacement? Threatening to kill a key portion of Obamacare, a low-income subsidy program. This could mean an immediate and fatal blow to the ACA marketplaces if he kills the subsidy program. That’s a really big deal. Without those subsidies, studies say insurers would have to hike up premiums by an average of 19 percent for typical policies. Many insurers would likely exit the marketplace altogether. Trump hopes this threat will force Dems to the table to negotiate. This fight will get ugly and leave millions of American’s healthcare hanging in the balance. Here's what's on deck this Thursday:- AZ Congressman suing the Trump administration
- Ben Carson gets stuck
- CAPAC weighs in on the United Airlines incident
- Throwback Thursday — we throw it back to some stories you may have missed
- Darkness ... we remember Charlie Murphy
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Latino USA's María Hinojosa giving an interview on Wednesday with Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Weber. | |  |
Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH) sports blue for Ohio's child abuse prevention campaign. | |  |
Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) appearing on CNN on Tuesday. | |
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Barack Obama to Speak at Event in Scotland
CNN reports that former President Barack Obama is set to make his first visit to Scotland in May when he addresses business leaders in Edinburgh. He is expected to give one of his highest profile speeches since leaving office at a charity event organized by The Hunter Foundation. Former President Bill Clinton and Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney have all spoken at previous events hosted by the organization. The Hunter Foundation, which was established by businessman and philanthropist Tom Hunter, works with charities across the world including the Clinton Foundation. According to the Hunter Foundation, all of the money raised will be divided between children's charities in Scotland. More here.
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Congressman Raúl Grijalva Files Suit Against the Trump Admin
The Hill reports that the Center for Biological Diversity and Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, saying its proposed wall along the southern border violates environmental law. The suit says the Department of Homeland Security is obligated to draft a new environmental review to examine the impact of the wall and other border enforcement activities. Grijalva, who is co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the top Dem on the House Natural Resources Committee, said, “American environmental laws are some of the oldest and strongest in the world, and they should apply to the borderlands just as they do everywhere else.” More here.
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Congressman Wilson, Meet Karma — Your 99th Problem
Remember the guy who yelled, “you lie” at President Barack Obama during his 2009 State of the Union address? Now Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) had his own words turned against him at a town hall meeting when constituents began shouting "you lie" in response to his comments about healthcare reform. The congressman spoke about several issues and topics throughout the evening, but his stand on healthcare drew the most jeers from the crowd of more than a hundred attendees. Boos were loud and long, even as the Republican tried to provide more context to his answers about climate change, illegal immigration, cyber-security and the war in Syria. More here.
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Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-FL) hosts HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson and his wife on a tour of some of Miami's public housing. | |  |
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Congressman Al Lawson (D-FL) escorting HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson on his listening tour. | |
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Ben Carson Gets Stuck
HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson's two-day visit to Miami started off a little rocky. Carson, Miami-Dade County Public Housing Director Michael Liu, and five other people got stuck inside an elevator Wednesday on the way down from a visit to the rooftop of the Courtside Family Apartments in Overtown. Miami Heat basketball legend Alonzo Mourning, whose nonprofit AM Affordable Housing co-developed the complex with Miami's Housing Trust Group, waited anxiously in the building's lobby while Miami-Dade Fire Rescue labored to pry open the elevator's jammed doors. Carson eventually made it out. Though some argue he remains in the sunken place. More here.
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A DC Bookstore By and For People of Color
The former manager of DC bookstore Politics and Prose, Angela Maria Spring, is planning to open her own store, Duende District, which will be run by a deliberately diverse staff. HuffPo reports that on April 10th, Spring launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the creation of a pop-up Duende District bookstore to operate at the 2017 Artomatic festival. Spring, who is Latinx and the daughter of a Panamanian immigrant, felt inspired to open the intentionally multicultural bookstore after several years at Politics and Prose. Though DC is a highly diverse city, she found herself in a primarily white neighborhood, working with white booksellers and catering to a largely white clientele. Creating a browsing space that’s “owned, operated, and managed by a majority of people of color,” she says in her Kickstarter video, can create a “high-quality, welcome experience for everyone.” More here.
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Congressman Rubén Kihuen (D-NV) touring Moapa Band of Paiutes Solar Array in Las Vegas on Wednesday. | |  | Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) hosted a town hall on Tuesday night for more than 500 constituents. | |
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JC Watts Suing Feed the Children
Former GOP Congressman J.C. Watts is suing Feed the Children, claiming he was fired as the nonprofit’s CEO in retaliation for reporting irregularities with Oklahoma’s attorney general. Watts, who served in the House from 1995 to 2003, claimed he was fired by the board of directors on Nov. 4th, less than 10 months into his three-year contract. It was also a day after he told a member of the board that he had reported to the attorney general’s office. More here.
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Obama’s Social Secretary Throws Welcome Party for Trump’s — Desiree Rogers Attends
WaPo’s Helena Andrews reports on the passing of the torch between White House Social Secretaries. On Tuesday night, Deesha Dyer, the Obama administration’s last social secretary, threw an intimate affair for Trump’s newly minted social secretary, Anna Cristina Niceta Lloyd. Andrews reports that Dyer managed to corral President Lyndon Johnson’s Social Secretary Bess Abell, President Richard Nixon’s Social Secretary Lucy Winchester Breathitt, President Ronald Reagan’s Social Secretary Gahl Burt, President George W. Bush’s social secretaries Lea Berman and Catherine Fenton, President Bill Clinton’s social secretaries Ann Stock and Capricia Marshall, and President Barack Obama’s social secretaries Desiree Rogers (yep — a major get), Julianna Smoot and Jeremy Bernard. More here.
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ACLU Sues DHS for Info on Travel Ban
The Hill reports that ACLU chapters have filed 13 lawsuits seeking information from DHS and local U.S. Customs and Border Protection offices in more than a dozen cities, including Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The groups are pressing federal officials about how they were directed to implement Trump’s Jan. 27th executive order at specific airports and ports of entry. The civil rights group said the requests were first filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) less than a week after Trump issued his initial order, which was temporarily blocked nationwide by a federal judge in Washington a day later. More here.
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Congresswoman Val Demings (D-FL) cruising through her district on her Harley. We see you, Congresswoman! | |  |
Congresswoman Mia Love (R-UT) touring St. Marks Hospital's Breast Risk Assessment facility in Utah. | |
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First Female Muslim Judge Found Dead
NYT reports that the first female Muslim judge to be appointed in the United States was found dead in the Hudson River on Wednesday afternoon. Witnesses called 911 when they found the body of 65-year-old Sheila Abdus-Salaam in the river near 132nd Street and Hudson Parkway, the police said. According to reports, the associate judge on New York's highest court had been reported missing earlier in the day. There were no signs of trauma on her body, according to police, and she was fully clothed. More here.
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Dr. Dao Sustained Two Assaults: First by United Airlines and Then by the Media
A full two days after a passenger was physically assaulted on a United Airlines flight, the United CEO has apologized. However, many noticed how the media covered this particular story. For some reason, certain outlets thought it appropriate to examine the past of Dr. David Dao, the victim, who happens to be Asian American. The undertones of “is he really a doctor?” prompted headlines from questioning his character, sexuality, criminal record, and other irrelevant topics. The Hill’s Joe Concha took notice. He examines it more in depth here.
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CAPAC Responds to United Airlines Incident
In response to the United Airlines incident, NBC Asian America reports that the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) fired off two letters Tuesday: one to United Airlines CEO Oscar Muñoz, the other to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. CAPAC Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) asked Muñoz under what circumstances in United's procedures "are violent uses of force acceptable to the airlines and aviation security personnel," and which conditions were met to lead to Dao's removal. Chu also requested that Chao share findings from a DOT review of the incident, including whether federal laws or regulations were violated. Earlier Tuesday, Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) tweeted a call for an investigation as well. More here.
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Mexican Ambassador Says They Exercise Strategic Patience with Trump
On Wednesday, Mexico's ambassador to the United States, Gerónimo Gutiérrez, spoke at Georgetown University. The Hill Latino reports that Gutiérrez expressed optimism for the future of U.S.-Mexico relations, but also highlighted areas of frustration. Topping his speech were concerns about the NAFTA, which Trump on the campaign trail said was hurting American workers and vowed to renegotiate. But since his inauguration, Trump's administration has sent mixed signals about how they will handle trade with Mexico. “The Mexican government has, in a sense, exercised strategic patience in trying to cope with a series of issues during the past months," Gutiérrez said. "That’s the instruction that we received from [Mexican] President [Enrique] Peña Nieto. That’s where we will continue to be.” More from The Hill Latino here.
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Kushner May Decide Future of Kush
The Commercial Appeal reports that Trump’s administration sent more signals last week that it intends to enforce federal laws against marijuana use, yet advocates for legalizing the drug are still trying to sort out exactly where Trump himself stands on the issue. Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), who represents a district that is 62% African American, says people should look to Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to get a clue on the direction the administration would take. Numerous clips of AG Jeff Sessions speaking out against the use of marijuana make his position clear. “How can you be 36 years old and grow up in New York City and be for having people jailed for marijuana,” said Cohen. More here.
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Please Stop Invoking MLK into Your Foolishness
On Wednesday the WaPo broke the news that the FBI was monitoring the communications of Trump adviser Carter Page as part of an investigation into possible links between Russia and the campaign. In an interview with The Post, the reporters said Page “compared surveillance of him to the eavesdropping that the FBI and Justice Department conducted against civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.” Huh?? “This casual invocation of King by Page simultaneously elevates the latter to the noble level of the former and by doing so belittling King’s work and ultimate sacrifice to make this a more perfect union,” writes Jonathan Capehart in a thoughtful piece highlighting the latest deflection from this administration on the heels of Sean Spicer’s alternative facts on Hitler and WWII. In the words of Capehart, “C’mon man.” Read the full piece here.
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The Race Card Project: A Conversation Among Authors
Michele Norris and her groundbreaking Race Card Project, now at the Aspen Institute, hosted a riveting conversation between authors John Edgar Wideman (Writing to Save a Life: The Louis Till File) and Timothy B. Tyson (The Blood of Emmett Till). What are facts? Who tells them? Who owns them? The meaning of contrition, the interlocking stories of fathers and sons. Norris and her brilliance and creativity shone and shined, of course. Norris’ husband Broderick Johnson, Robert Raben, Erin Golightly of the NMAAHC, Bea Walters, Thelma Duggan, Malika Saada Saar, Mo Owens from the Libra Group, and Dr. Sharon Malone made the crowd. More about The Race Card Project here.
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April 25th marks the 100th birthday of American jazz and popular song vocalist Ella Fitzgerald. Starting today the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery recognizes the anniversary, "Ella at 100: The Centennial Celebration," by displaying a 1947 photo of "The First Lady of Song" flanked by Ray Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, and Milt Jackson. She was just a teenager when a victory in an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater in Harlem launched her career in 1935, and was voted "Best Female Vocalist" for 17 consecutive years (1953 - 1970) by DownBeat magazine. The pic by renowned photographer and journalist William Gottlieb will be on display until May 14th. More here.
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'Guerilla' Director John Ridley Says Black Women Are Erased From His Series Because He's 'In A Mixed Race Relationship'
Essence Magazine reports that Showtime's upcoming series Guerrilla starring Idris Elba is getting a lot of heat for the lack of representation of Black women in Britain's revolutionary movement. The film’s director John Ridley Scott, who also directed 12 Years A Slave, replied to a woman who questioned the obvious omission, “I don’t want to make this overly personal, but part of why I chose to have a mixed race couple at the center of this is that I’m in a mixed race relationship. The things that are being said here, and how we are often received, is very equivalent to what’s going on right now (in the wider world).” More here.
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| Throwback Thursday
New to The Beat? Here are some stories we covered the past few months that you may have missed.
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Who is the Black Woman Sitting Behind Gorsuch?
When Justice Neil Gorsuch was going through his confirmation hearing, the burning question we got was this: Who was that sister sitting behind him? That was none other than GOP strategist Mary Elizabeth Taylor, who now works for the Trump administration in the WH Legislative Affairs office. She began interning in the Senate in July 2006. Taylor worked for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and was an assistant in the Senate Republican cloakroom, where politicians are known to make deals outside of official meetings. After all the attention on Taylor, we found that she has since deleted her LinkedIn profile. More about her here.
Obama's Home State of Illinois Rejects a Holiday in His Honor...for Now
In March, Illinois lawmakers passed a bill that would have designated former President Barack Obama's birthday a state holiday. But after Republicans raised a variety of concerns, from the economic impact of closing state buildings on holidays to the "inconsistent way" presidents from Illinois are recognized, the bill was not signed into law. More here.
Three Tri-Caucus MoCs Introduce Bill Condemning Fake News and Alternative Facts
In March, Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) introduced a resolution that calls for “opposing fake news and alternative facts.” Congressmen Ted Lieu (D-CA) and John Lewis (D-GA) signed on as co-sponsors. The measure establishes that “the president must immediately acknowledge his support of the First Amendment and express his support for United States democracy,” and “White House spokespersons should not issue fake news.” More here.
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| VIDEOS
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| To celebrate the life of Charlie Murphy, who passed away on Wednesday at 57 of leukemia, we leave you with Comedy Central's Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories as reenacted on The Chappelle Show. Thanks for the laughs, Charlie.
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| FOMOMonday, April 18th, 7A: The Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hosts its 8th annual Minority Business Expo at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Pl NW. Click here for more information and to register
Tuesday, April 19th, 11:30A: The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda sponsors "The First 100 Days: Defending and Advancing the Latino Policy Priorities." 601 New Jersey Ave NW. Click here to RSVP.
Friday, April 21st, 6P: APAICS screens The Other Side: A liberal Democrat Explores Conservative America. MPAA 1600 I St NW. Click here to RSVP.
Friday, April 21st, 6:30P: 2017 SAALT Changemaker Awards. National Press Club, 14th & F St. NW. Click here for tickets.
Wednesday, April 26th, 6P: 13th Annual CHLI Gala & Leadership Awards, "A Tribute to Freedom." By invitation only.
Wednesday, April 26th –Fri, Apr 28th: African American Mayors Association 2017 Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Click here for more info.
Wednesday, May 10th, 12P: The Raben Group hosts a meet-and-greet with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). By invitation only.
Wednesday, May 17th, 2:30P: The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) presents "Emerging Threats to the AAPI Community: A Civil Rights & Immigration Discussion." Click here for more information.
Wednesday, May 24th, 9A: A policy breakfast with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). The Raben Group, 1341 G St, NW. Click here to RSVP.
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